New Policy Tries To Prevent Terrorism In Yehuda and Shomron

A new Israeli security policy to thwart terrorism was unveiled by Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday. It’s based on a “carrot and stick” approach of offering reward and threat of punishment based on the behavior of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

Lieberman said at a press conference in Tel Aviv the purpose of the new policy “is to continue to give benefits to those who desire co-existence with us, and make life difficult for those who seek to harm Jews.”

The plan gives special privileges to 15 Palestinian Authority (PA) communities that have not harbored terrorists and kept peaceful ties with Israel. For towns where residents are known to be involved in terrorism, work permits in Israel will be rejected and other stronger security checks will be implemented, Arutz Sheva reported.

The plan will also focus on holding dialogue with Palestinians leaders without the PA’s approval and creating a list of people closely connected to the PA and Hamas, Lieberman said.

A news website in Arabic will also be created for Palestinians run by the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli Ministry of Defense unit that handles policy issues for Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.